System and method for calibrating a transmitting unit, and watercraft comprising a system for calibrating a transmitting unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10871546-B2
Application number	US-201816047252-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 27, 2018
Priority date	Aug 2, 2017
Publication date	Dec 22, 2020
Grant date	Dec 22, 2020

Abstract

A system for calibrating a transmitting unit includes an arrangement of at least four transmitting units. A first transmitting unit has stored position data with respect to a setpoint position of the first transmitting unit. The first transmitting unit is designed to emit a first transmission signal to each of the three remaining transmitting units, each of which is designed to receive the first transmission signal and, thereafter, to return a first response signal to the first transmitting unit. The first transmitting unit is designed to determine its relative position data with respect to the three remaining transmitting units on the basis of the first response signals returned and to detect a deviation between the stored position data and the relative position data determined and to carry out a calibration of a transmission parameter of the first transmitting unit on the basis of the detected deviation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for calibrating a transmitting unit, the system comprising:
an arrangement of at least four transmitting units,
wherein a first transmitting unit of the at least four transmitting units has stored position data with respect to a setpoint position of the first transmitting unit,
wherein the first transmitting unit is configured to emit a first transmission signal to each of the three remaining transmitting units,
wherein each of the three remaining transmitting units is configured to receive the first transmission signal and, after receiving the first transmission signal, to return a first response signal to the first transmitting unit,
wherein the first transmitting unit is configured to determine relative position data of the first transmitting unit with respect to the three remaining transmitting units on the basis of the first response signals returned,
wherein the first transmitting unit is configured to detect a deviation between the stored position data and the relative position data determined and to carry out a calibration of a transmission parameter of the first transmitting unit on the basis of the detected deviation, and
wherein a second transmitting unit of the at least four transmitting units is configured to emit a second transmission signal to the first transmitting unit,
wherein the first transmitting unit is configured to receive the second transmission signal and, after receiving the second transmission signal, to return a second response signal to the second transmitting unit, and
wherein the second transmitting unit is configured to check the calibration of the transmission parameter of the first transmitting unit on the basis of the second response signal.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first transmitting unit is configured to determine the relative position data of the first transmitting unit with respect to the three remaining transmitting units on the basis of a propagation time measurement of the first transmission signal and of the first response signals.

3. The system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second transmitting unit has stored position data with respect to a position of the second transmitting unit, and
wherein the calibration of the transmission parameter of the first transmitting unit is effected on the basis of a comparison of the propagation time of the second transmission signal and of the second response signal with the stored position data with respect to the position of the second transmitting unit.

4. The system according to claim 3 ,
wherein the first transmission signal and the second transmission signal are in each case radar signals, and/or
wherein the first response signal and the second response signal are in each case radar signals.

5. The system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first transmission signal and the second transmission signal are in each case radar signals, and/or
wherein the first response signal and the second response signal are in each case radar signals.

6. The system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first transmission signal and the second transmission signal are in each case beacon signals in the form of radio signals, and
wherein the first response signals and the second response signals are in each beacon signals in the form of radio signals.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the calibration of the first transmitting unit comprises a setting of a time parameter and/or of a frequency parameter of the first transmitting unit.

8. A system for calibrating a transmitting unit, the system comprising:
an arrangement of at least four transmitting units,
wherein a first transmitting unit of the at least four transmitting units has stored position data with respect to a setpoint position of the first transmitting unit,
wherein the first transmitting unit is configured to emit a first transmission signal to each of the three remaining transmitting units,
wherein each of the three remaining transmitting units is configured to receive the first transmission signal and, after receiving the first transmission signal, to return a first response signal to the first transmitting unit,
wherein the first transmitting unit is configured to determine relative position data of the first transmitting unit with respect to the three remaining transmitting units on the basis of the first response signals returned,
wherein the first transmitting unit is configured to detect a deviation between the stored position data and the relative position data determined and to carry out a calibration of a transmission parameter of the first transmitting unit on the basis of the detected deviation, and
wherein the first transmitting unit is configured to ascertain a malfunction of the system if a first response signal of at least one of the three remaining transmitting units fails to appear.

9. A system for calibrating a transmitting unit, the system comprising:
an arrangement of at least four transmitting units,
wherein a first transmitting unit of the at least four transmitting units has stored position data with respect to a setpoint position of the first transmitting unit,
wherein the first transmitting unit is configured to emit a first transmission signal to each of the three remaining transmitting units,
wherein each of the three remaining transmitting units is configured to receive the first transmission signal and, after receiving the first transmission signal, to return a first response signal to the first transmitting unit,
wherein the first transmitting unit is configured to determine relative position data of the first transmitting unit with respect to the three remaining transmitting units on the basis of the first response signals returned,
wherein the first transmitting unit is configured to detect a deviation between the stored position data and the relative position data determined and to carry out a calibration of a transmission parameter of the first transmitting unit on the basis of the detected deviation, and
wherein each transmitting unit of the arrangement of at least four transmitting units is configured to receive a radar signal of an object that is moving relative to the arrangement and as a consequence to emit a response signal to the moving object, such that a relative position of the moving object with respect to the arrangement of at least four transmitting units is determinable.

10. A system for calibrating a transmitting unit, the system comprising:
an arrangement of at least four transmitting units,
wherein a first transmitting unit of the at least four transmitting units has stored position data with respect to a setpoint position of the first transmitting unit,
wherein the first transmitting unit is configured to emit a first transmission signal to each of the three remaining transmitting units,
wherein each of the three remaining transmitting units is configured to receive the first transmission signal and, after receiving the first transmission signal, to return a first response signal to the first transmitting unit,
wherein the first transmitting unit is configured to determine relative position data of the first transmitting unit with respect to the three remaining transmitting units on the basis of the first response signals returned,
wherein the first transmitting unit is configured to detect a deviation between the stored position data and the relative position data determined and to carry out a calibration of a transmission parameter of the first transmitting unit on the basis of the detected deviation, and
wherein the arrangement comprises a total of eight transmitting units, at least six transmitting units of which are ar

Assignees

• Airbus Defence & Space Gmbh

Inventors

• Kittmann Klaus
• Burns Simon

Classifications

• G01S7/40 Primary

  Means for monitoring or calibrating · CPC title

• G01S13/876

  Combination of several spaced transponders or reflectors of known location for determining the position of a receiver (G01S13/874 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01S13/913

  for landing purposes · CPC title

• G01S13/74

  Systems using reradiation of radio waves, e.g. secondary radar systems; Analogous systems · CPC title

• G01S5/021

  Calibration, monitoring or correction (G01S5/0252 takes precedence) · CPC title